Doughnut cooking machine



Sept. 14, 1937. F, MMER 2,092,849

` .(DouGHNUT COOKING MACHINE l Filed June 2, 1936 2 sheets-shea 1 Ill' 'if f .INENTOB l 3 FrgcYlenck Mme?,

NEYS

Sept. 14, 1937. F. yMAH-:R

DOUGHNUT COOKING MACHINE Filed June 2, 193e 2 sheets-sheenA 2 INVENTOR n Freggrci Maier, @MMM ATT NEYS Patented Sept.. 14, 1937 UNITED STATI-:s g PATENT ,oFFiCl-z" f 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine `for cooking or frying doughnuts and the like, and it has for its object to provide a machine or apparatusv of this nature which may be manually operated and made to handle large quantities of the fried product in an expeditious manner so that a maximum output may be obtained with the least expenditure of time and effort.

Machines have heretofore been designed'for frying doughnuts, the latter term being used in an inclusive sense with respect to fried cakes and other foods which are cooked in a bath of grease,

but their designs have been .objectionable for several reasons, primarily because they have lacked a practical construction by which the doughnuts could be handled on a large scale expeditiously. In thelarger bakery establishments automatic machinery has been used, but because of the expense,` such has been impractical for adoption by the smaller bakery.

'I'hevpresent invention comprehends a simple doughnut cooking machine which is of simple and practical design by which the removal of the doughnuts from the frying bath is facilitated,

thereby enabling the handling of large quantities of the product by manual effort and with the least expenditure of energy. The-invention further embodies. means by which the frying of the 3o doughnuts is conducted throughout la substantialin the fried product..

In the drawings' l i Fig.'1 is a side elevation of a doughnut cooking machine constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing one embodiment thereof; i

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the frying bath; and Y Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine.

Referring more particularly to the' drawings; the numeral I designates a tank or vat for conl taining the frying bath, the latter' being heated.

s and maintained at the desiredcooking temperature by a` gas burner 2 underlying the tank. i 'I he burner is regulated lby a valve 3 which is regulated by means of a thermostat l, being connected thereto by a link 5. The thermostat may perat'ure of the frying bath is obtained.

To'- conserve the heat, the tank I is enclosed within a case or wall 8, of asbestos or other heat insulating material, and is spaced from the tank ly even temperature to thereby insure uniformity also regulate a damper 6 inthe heat iiue lwhereby the desired nicety in the 'control ofthe temici. 5.3-1)

diately about the tank. This insures rapid heating of .the frying bath and easy maintenance oi' the desired temperature thereof. The flue 1 opens into the heating space or chamber 9 at a level below the upper portion of such chamber 5 so as to confine the heatf or a longer interval about the tank. A bottom heat insulating panel Il! is mounted beneath the burner 2 to thereby conserve the heat and keep down theV temperature of the room in which the operator is work- 10v ing. The wall 8 stops short of this panel to prof vide an open air gap 8 below the burner. The upper edge of the tank isgbeveled downwardly into the tank to better return the grease thereinto. 15 A carrying frame II is supported at opposite sides of the tank-by vertically guided pairs of rods I2 for being lowered into and raised-from the frying bath. The rods I2 are vertically moved by means of a pedal I3 which is'pivotally mount- 20 ed on the frame supporting structure Il of the machine by means of the transverse shaft I6. The shaft is provided with terminal crank arms I6 which are connected by links I'I to the cross bars IB of the respective pairs of rods I2 at the 25 opposite sides of the tank. By depressing the pedal I3 the operator will elevate the trame II from the frying bath, as indicated lby the broken line showing in Figs. 1 and 2. Releasing the pedalwill permit the frame to lower by gravity so into the bath.l J

The carrying frame is substantially U-shaped in cross section to form a cradle,` to receive a basket 2|, and has the outturned flanges 2li by which the frame is secured to the upper ends of 35 the rods I2.- This basket may comprise a sexies of parallel wires 22 adapted to rest directly `on` the transverse bars I9 embodied in thefabrication ofthe cradle frame I I. The wires are united Yby the cross frame members 23 ofthe basket frame, and one of' such braces .is continued and turned outwardly and downwardly to provide a, handle 24 which overhangs and receives the upper edge of the tank when, the basket is in doughnut frying-position. as shown by solid unes in :sig-1. 455. f'l'his serves to hold the basket-against abnormal:

shifting in the frame. The wires 2 2 may be. multiplied to deiinev side walls'for the basket, and they will preferably extend to the rear edge of the basket so as to mamme the discharge of the lfrieddouglinuts from the basket when the latter is tilted. The basket is tiltably mounted', and when elevated from the frying bath is adapted` to be tilt-v' ed on thecradle to 'an inclinedpositionfsuchras. 55

2 is indicated in Fig. l. The inclination permitted is suiiicient to cause the fried doughnuts to gravitate off the lower end o! the basket on to Aa tiltable draining tray'll. This tray has one edge supported adjacent the side of the tank and its opposite edge pivotally mounted on an outwardly spaced support 2|. An overhead cable I2 is connected to the tray as a means for tilting the same, the cable being extended over to a location accessible to the operator and provided with a handle which is removably mounted on a shelf 30. When the storage tray is full it is removed to a rack ll by which the doughnuts may be carried into the packing room for further treatment.

The raw doughnuts are formed from a batch of dough disposed in a hopper 3i of a forming and depositing apparatus 36. This apparatus forms the subject matter of a co-pending application, and, therefore, detailed description will not be necessary, suince .it to say that the dough is fed downwardly through extruding nozzles It from which the shaped doughnuts are severed by cutting wires Several nozzles areprovided so as to increase the output of the doughnut former, which latter is given exible support' by an extensible arm Il which is loosely pivoted at 4l to an upright 42 for horizontal movement over the .frying bath and vertical movement, whereby the nozzles may be lowered close to the bath. Normally the arm is held elevated by a spring 4I. 'Ihe operator may, therefore, grasp the handle Il and manipulatethe hopper over the frying bath and, in rapid succession. eiIect a deposit of a series of rows of the raw doughnuts, shifting the forming apparatus back and i'orthto efiect equal distribution of the doughnuts in the bath. l

By this operation the operator is enabled to quicklyilll thetankto its capacityandsecurea uniform frying of the entire batch. I

While the foregoing description has been given in detail, it is not the intention thereby to limit the invention which is obviously capable of em- 'sulatingwallencasingthesidesofthetank bodiment in Othar physical forms without dc- -parting from the inventive concept.

What is claimed is:

1. A doughnutlfrying machine comprising/a tank for containing a frying bath, means neaththetankforheatingthebathaheat 2. A doughnut frying machine comprising a tank for containing a frying bath, 'means for heatingthebath,acarryingtramesupportedby the tank'for vertical movement into and out of the frying bath. eans for vertically moving the 75 frame,adoughn baskettiltablymoimtedinthe acciaio doughnuts oil! the rear side thereof, said basket having a handle connected tothe front side of the basket to eifect suchtiltlng movement, and

-a drain tray disposed at the rear side ofthe basket for receiving the iried doughnuts discharged therefrom..

3. A doughnut frying machine comprising a for containing a frying bath, means vi'or heating the bath, a carrying frame supported by the tank for vertical movement into and out of the frying bath, means for vertically moving the frame, a doughnut basket tiltably mounted in #ne frame for movement therewith and adapted to be tilted in its upper position for discharging the cooked doughnuts, said basket having a handle to ell'ect such tilting movement, a drain tray disposed for receiving the fried doughnuts discharged from the basket, means mounting said drain tray for being tilted to discharge the drained doughnuts therefrom, and means' extend-v ing to a position in proximity to said handle for tilting such' drain tray. 4. A doughnut cooking machine comprising a tank for containing a frying bath, means for maintaining the bath at a frying temperature, a carrying frame supported for vertical movement into and out of the bath, and a doughnut basket cradled in the frame and mounted for independent tilting movement to an inclined position to effect a sliding discharge of the iried doughnuts ci! the edge ofthe basket.

5. Adoughnut cooking machine comprising a tank for containing `a frying bath, means for maintaining the bath' at a frying temperature, a l

carrying frame supported for movement into and out of the bath, `and a doughnut basket cradled in the frame and mounted for independent tilting movement to effect a discharge ofthe fried doughnuts, said basket having a handle folded over the upper edge o! the tank so as to receive such edge oi the tank during thelowering movement of the frame into the bath.

6. A doughnut cooking machine comprising a tank for containing a frying bath, means i'or maintaining the bath at a-frying temperature, a carrying frame Supported for vertical movement intoand out ofthe bath. a doughnut basket cradled in the frame and mounted for independent tilting movement to effect a discharge of the fried doughnuts, said basket h aving a handle foldedovertheupperedgeofthetanksoasto receivesuch edgeotthetankduring the lowering movementoftheframeintothebath, andmeans underlying the handle for vertically moving the rame.

-'I.Ad0\i8l1u.iutcookingmachinecomprisings.v

tank for containing a frying bath, means for maintaining the bath at airying temperature, a carrying frame supported for movement into and out of the bath,a doughnut basket mmmted in theiramefcrrelativettoanhiclined Dition'to elect a Slidinl dllchal'ge! the fried carrying frame supported for vertical movement ilitoamioutoithebailya.doughnutl'letsketi'iisv posed in the frame, said basket being tumble to discharge the doughnuts from one side thereof, a

drain tray tiltably mounted at such side of the basket to receive and discharge the doughnuts,

Vand means accessible -Irom acommon station for vertically moving the frame for tilting the basket and also tilting the drain tray.

9. A doughnut frying machine comprising a tank containing a frying bath with means for maintaining the frying temperature of the bath, means movable from the tank for lifting 'the fried doughnuts from the bath, means movable to and from a position over the bath for extruding raw doughnuts and discharging them into the basket, and means supportingv said extruding means ior movement down in proximity to the bath to avoid splashing of the hot grease. 10. A doughnut-frying machine comprising a tank containing a frying bath with means for, maintaining the frying temperature oi' .the bath,

means movable from the tank for lifting the fried doughnuts from the bath, means movable to and from a position over the bath for extruding raw doughnuts and discharging them into-the basket, and resilient means supporting said extruding means to permitl movement ci.' the latter down in proximity to the bath.

,receive such edge of the tank .during lthe lowering movement of the frame into the bath, means .underlying the handle for vertically moving the frame, a drain trayior receiving the doughnuts from the basket, means mounting the drain tray for movement to an inclined doughnut discharging position, and means adjacent said handle for moving said drain tray to such inclined position.

12. A doughnut frying machine comprising a tank containing a frying bath withvmeans for `maintaining the frying temperature ot the bath,

means mounted over the bath i'or extruding raw doughnuts and discharging them into the basket,

and means resillently supporting' said `extrud4 ing means for movement down in proximity to the bath to avoid of the hot grease.

FREDERICK MAIER. 

